From his days in high school and throughout his adult life, he has enjoyed
being on the court. During a recent pick-up game Peed teamed up with his
boss, former U.S. Attorney General, John Ashcroft and Asa Hutchinson, former
Under Secretary at Department of Homeland Security, to take on the opposing
team.

Carl Peed and Athletic Director Dan Kenney with photo
of Dr. English Jones, who was chancellor during Peed’s
days at UNCP.

“We always enjoyed playing when we were on the road,” Peed said. “Those
games get competitive.”

The director of the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS), Peed returned to his alma mater July 8, 2005, to
establish an endowed scholarship in the basketball program.

Since graduating from UNCP in 1969, the Hamlet, N.C., native has had long
and distinguished career in local, state and federal law enforcement. Peed
had an outstanding career in basketball at UNCP.

An NAIA All-American and a member of the UNCP Athletic Hall of Fame, Peed
ranks 11th on the University’s all-time scoring list and still holds
several records. Peed started as a freshman and averaged in the double figures
all four years. During his career, he played in 111 consecutive games. He
was team captain and selected as team MVP in his senior year.

The Carl R. Peed Endowed Basketball Scholarship for Leadership honors two
of Peed’s former basketball coaches, the late Lacey Gane Jr. at UNCP
and Charlie Bishop of Hamlet High School.

“My father died when I was 10, and these two men were mentors for
me,” Peed said. “Charlie taught me the fundamentals and Lacey
taught me the discipline. If it hadn’t been for basketball and these
two coaches I might not be where I am today.”

“Patience, discipline and confidence are the things you learn on the
court, and they last a life time,” he said.

Peed’s career took him into law enforcement. He served 25 years in
the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, ten as the Sheriff of Fairfax
County, Virginia. In 2000, he was appointed by Virginia Gov. James Gilmore
to direct the state’s Juvenile Justice program. In 2001, President
George W. Bush selected Peed to be director of the Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) program, an organization that supports state and local law
enforcement nationwide with over 35,000 grants to 14,000 law enforcement
agencies.

Carl Peed at the wall honoring Hall of Fame members

Peed won several prestigious awards: Correctional Administrator of the Year
from the American Jail Association, the Distinguished Leadership Award from
the National Association of Community Leadership and UNCP’s Distinguished
Alumnus Award.

“Since leaving UNCP, I have had the opportunity to serve in many leadership
positions,” Peed said. “My experiences at UNCP, on the court
as a basketball player and off the court as a student, helped to shape my
life.”

The scholarship will be awarded to the student-athlete who best exemplifies
the values that Coach Gane and Coach Bishop taught – “trust,
respect, responsibility, self-discipline, hard work, confidence, strong work
ethic, and the will to always strive to win, even when faced with defeat,” Peed
said.

This scholarship will recognize a top basketball player who demonstrates
leadership qualities on and off the basketball court. The recipient shall
reflect the high moral and ethical standards of the UNCP athletic program.

UNCP Athletic Director Dan Kenney said Peed is a role model for student-athletes
everywhere, and the scholarship speaks to his leadership skills.

“We are indebted to Carl Peed for his loyalty not only to his Alma
Mater but also to Lacey Gane and Charlie Bishop,” Kenney said. “Coaches
make a difference in young people’s lives and Carl’s gift recognizes
this.”

An endowed scholarship is a perpetual gift the University. To learn more
about this scholarship or how to give to UNCP, please contact the Office
of Advancement at 910.521.6252 or email advancement@uncp.edu.